The present application relates generally to an improved data processing apparatus and method and more specifically to mechanisms for providing an inter-organizational and intra-organizational repository for operating system images.
There are several technologies in existence today that allow one to create images of computer operating systems that can be used either virtually or natively on computer hardware system. These technologies include software such as virtual machine software (VMWare), the AIX operating system's Network Install Manager, and other similar types of system backup/restore solutions. The operating system image itself is a copy of the entire state of the operating system and any applications associated with the operating system at a particular point in time. Such operating system images may be generated and stored for later restoration of a computing device to a previous state, for example.
These operating system image technologies allow large organizations to save time and money when deploying new systems in an information technology environment. That is, when setting up a new computer in an organization, the most time consuming process is the process of installing and configuring the operating system and all of the different software programs that are to be used by that computer system. Large organizations that have to configure many computing devices may utilize a pre-configured operating system image to install the operating system and its associated software programs. Such a process can be performed quickly and without having to be attended by information technology personnel. Moreover, a plurality of different operating system images may be generated for different types of computing devices within the organization, e.g., a different operating system image for computers in a personnel department as opposed to computers in an accounting department.